For those who did not believe

I know many of you have heard me talk about my friend Katie who is due 4 days after me but I haven't had any pictures of her and I until now. As the pictures will prove, her and I are carrying completely different. You can't really tell where my starts and stops but oh well I'm enjoying every minute of it.

I had my very first shower last night given by my boss. It was awesome but duh what do you expect from someone who plans parties for a living. We got so much great stuff for the baby (and for me:-)). I'll be posting pictures of that later.

Front shot at 35 weeks

Everyone's been hounding me for some front shot pictures so here they are. Enjoy.

Side shot at 35 weeks

34 week appointment

Alrighty so yesterday I was 34 weeks and had an appointment with my midwife. Everything is looking and feeling great. I'm measure right where I should be, actually 34.5, so I don't know if that means I could go a little early or not but only gained .5 lb since I was there last. No duh, cause if I eat a grain of rice I feel full. Everything is so crammed in there. The baby is head down with it's back curved around on the left side of my belly button and it's butt right up under my ribs on the right side. So far the baby is not in a position to produce any hardcore back labor so let's keep our fingers crossed that it stays that way. She thinks the baby will weigh about what I did when I was born which was like 7lbs 14 oz. She said the baby will probably start to drop around 38-39 weeks which should allow me to breathe easier, however, many more trips to the restroom. I didn't know it was possible for me to go more. The heartrate has started to slow down and is now in the low 140's. They asked me if I had any concerns or fears at this point and I said no. I don't think I've actually grasped the concept quite yet because we've been so busy at home just trying to get ready for all of this. My next appointment we go over the birth plan and all that so I'm sure reality will really start to hit around then.

33 weeks and 1 day

Crammed lungs, dry skin and all! Here I am at 33 weeks and one day. Brandon asked me if I had a respiratory problem because apparently I'm breathing harder than normal. I told him yes, it's called child in womb. I'm getting adjusted twice a week now which is a total life saver and yesterday I had a massage with Brooke which was fantastic. I'm scheduled for another one in two weeks ... thank god! The nursery is coming along. It's ready to be painted and after that trim and new doors and finally the carpet which gets put in on the 25th. It will be such a relief to have that done. Other than that, all is well in the Starr family. Hope the same goes for you!!!

32 week appointment

I had my 32 week appointment yesterday and everything is still going great. Measuring right on, heart rate is still in the 150's. Blood pressure was lower than it normally is but they said that was good. I got to feel its head, back and butt. Baby Starr is currently head down so let's hope it stays that way or at least is that way when the time is right. I've been getting adjusted twice a week now to help alleviate some of the aches and pains and I've got a massage appointment next week which I'm soooo excited for.

Back From the Desert

We made it back safe and sound from our trip to Arizona over the holidays. It was extremely relaxing and the kids had a super time. They were in awe of flying of course and of how different Arizona is than Iowa. I think we managed to celebrate Christmas 5 times this year and Ally's birthday 3 times. Not sure how we're going to live up to that next year but I'm sure it will be equally enjoyable. Casey picked up a new hobby, photography. He took nearly 300 pictures while on our trip. A lot of nature pictures and I think we have one of every room in my grandparents house. Some of the highlights were short hikes (them, not me), the Phoenix Zoo, Rawhide (a Western Village), shopping, movies and just relaxing with family. Here's a few pics from the library that we now have thanks to Casey!

Picture #1: Casey and Ally with the Lone Ranger at Rawhide

Picture #2: Brandon, Casey, Heather and Ally in jail at Rawhide

Picture #3: Casey showing off his tricks on his new skateboard

Picture #4: Casey, Ally, Brandon and Heather at the Phoenix Zoo

Picture #5: Ally surrounded by some kind of disgusting bug.